Devices, systems, and methods for obtaining sensor measurements

Abstract

Some embodiments of a system comprise a plurality of sensor arrays, wherein each sensor array of the plurality of sensors arrays includes multiple sensors, includes a wireless transceiver, includes one or more processors, and is configured to generate sensed data, according to sensor settings, while moving along a path; while moving along the path, transmit data to, and receive data from, other sensor arrays of the plurality of sensor arrays that are also moving along the path; and, while moving along the path, change one or more of the sensor settings based on the received data.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A device comprising:
 one or more sensors that are configured to generate sensed data according to sensor settings; 
 a wireless transceiver; and 
 one or more processors that are configured to cause the device to
 while moving along a path, generate the sensed data according to the sensor settings, wherein at least a part of the path is inside an apparatus; 
 while moving along the path, transmit the sensed data to another device; 
 while moving along the path, receive new sensor settings; and 
 while moving along the path, change one or more of the sensor settings based on the new sensor settings. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the device to:
 detect an anomaly based on the sensed data; and 
 transmit a notification of the anomaly to said another device. 
 
     
     
       3. The device of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the device to detect a location of the anomaly on the path. 
     
     
       4. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the sensed data include groups of sensed data, and wherein each group of sensed data is generated at a different location on the path. 
     
     
       5. The device of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the device to transmit, to said another device, information that indicates the respective locations on the path where the groups of sensed data were generated. 
     
     
       6. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors include one or more of the following: a temperature sensor, an accelerometer, a light sensor, a vibration sensor, a sound sensor, a gyroscope, a color sensor, a humidity sensor, a voltage sensor, a chemical sensor, and a pressure sensor. 
     
     
       7. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more of the sensor settings include a data-collection rate, a sensitivity, or a direction. 
     
     
       8. A method comprising:
 while moving along a path, generating sensed data according to sensor settings, wherein at least a part of the path is inside an apparatus; 
 while moving along the path, transmitting the sensed data to another device; 
 while moving along the path, receiving new sensor settings; and 
 while moving along the path, changing one or more of the sensor settings based on the new sensor settings. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 detecting an anomaly based on the sensed data; and 
 transmitting a notification of the anomaly to said another device. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 detecting a location of the anomaly on the path. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the sensed data include groups of sensed data, and wherein each group of sensed data is generated at a different location on the path. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 transmitting, to said another device, information that indicates the respective locations on the path where the groups of sensed data were generated. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the sensed data include one or more of the following: temperature data, acceleration data, light data, vibration data, sound data, gyroscopic data, color data, humidity data, voltage data, chemical data, and pressure data. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more of the sensor settings include a data-collection rate, a sensitivity, or a direction. 
     
     
       15. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:
 while moving along a path, obtaining sensed data that were generated by one or more sensors according to sensor settings, wherein at least a part of the path is inside an apparatus; 
 while moving along the path, transmitting the sensed data to another device; 
 while moving along the path, receiving new sensor settings; and 
 while moving along the path, changing one or more of the sensor settings based on the new sensor settings. 
 
     
     
       16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 detecting an anomaly based on the sensed data; and 
 transmitting a notification of the anomaly to said another device. 
 
     
     
       17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 detecting a location of the anomaly on the path. 
 
     
     
       18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 15 , wherein the sensed data include groups of sensed data, and wherein each group of sensed data is generated at a different location on the path. 
     
     
       19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 18 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 transmitting, to said another device, information that indicates the respective locations on the path where the groups of sensed data were generated. 
 
     
     
       20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more of the sensor settings include a data-collection rate, a sensitivity, or a direction.